JapanSugoi

Rie Tomosaka ともさか りえ is a 29 year old actress and model who has appeared in 39 TV shows since her debut in 1993.  The Nagano born actress has also appeared in 9 movies and 6 stage shows and is also a Jpop singer with 10 singles and 4 albums (under her name) and another album under the stage name Eri Sakatomo.

Her last album from 1999  “rie tomosaka best” was re released yesterday under the name “rie tomosaka best +3″.  The album will include the same 12 tracks as her 1999 best album, plus three additional songs that have never been included on a best album. Those three songs are “Shoujo Robot,” “Ikenai Ko,” and “Nihon ni Umarete,”, all produced by her friend, rocker Ringo Shiina.

Yesterday, she also released a brand new album called “Toridori トリドリ” which marks her return to music after 9 years.  Mito and Ikuko Harada (Clammbon クラムボン) , Ukigumo and Ichiyo Izawa (Tokyo Jihen 東京事変 ) Yuichi Ohata, Hajime Omori Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra 東京スカパラダイスオーケストラ  and Kaela Kimura 木村カエラ , are all involved in the new album.

Rie Tomosaka Videos

slideshow

cappachino PV

Shoujo Robot PV

Cute little dogs jumping rope on Japanese TV is entertaining to some people. Add in some Japanese celebrities like  Suzanne スザンヌ, Yukina Kinoshita 木下優樹菜 (from Jpop group PABO)  and actor Yusuke Kamiji 上地雄輔 かみじ ゆうすけ  and you get a few more people entertained.

Japanese salarymen have it tough.  They may be expected to be at work at 8.30am and with many facing a crowded 1.5-2 hour commute by train, this means getting up early even if they had a late night of drinking with the boss the previous night.

Single Japanese salarymen who aren’t married or have nice Japanese girlfriends that make them breakfast, need to do everything themselves and some have perfected the art of the 5 minute wake up and go.  Japanese comedian Tomonori Jinnai shows us on Japanese TV just how to get up, eat breakfast, get dressed and get ready for work in just five minutes.

Marty Friedman is one gaijin dude who must be making most Japanese learners jealous.  Though not 100% native, his Japanese is excellent and he even knows how to use colloquial Japanese correctly.  This “super guitarist” is a TV celebrity in Japan and he recently appeared on popular Japanese TV cooking show Saturday Night Chubaw  チューボーですよ！ (TBS)  with hosts Mai Kobayashi 小林麻央 and Masaaki Sakai 堺 正章 to talk about cooking, music and other stuff.

Last summer Japanese fashion merchandiser Uniqlo launched their popular line of summer camisoles and tank tops with built in cups for women called “Bra Tops ブラトップ” with a successful TV commercial campaign featuring Kazue Fukiishi 吹石一恵. Uniqlo’s Bra tops are priced from 1,500 yen and have adjustable shoulder straps and the clever cups of molded mesh material are designed to soak up perspiration.

Uniqlo sold some three million “Bra tops” last season and starts a global promotion this summer season featuring new image girl, actress and model Chiaki Kuriyama 栗山千明.  Chiaki is no stranger to Uniqlo having appeared in a Uniqlo commercial 12 years ago in 1997!

Chiaki Uniqlo Bra Top TV commercia

Chiaki Kuriyama Uniqlo Bra Top TV commercial

Chiaki Kuriyama Press Event

Chiaki Kuriyama 1997 Uniqlo TV commercial

Super sexy, super popular Japanese Eurasian av idol Maria Ozawa 小澤マリア,  小澤瑪莉亞features  in this month’s  Taiwan issue of  FHM. Maria (along with many other Japanese av idols like Akiho Yoshizawa and Mihiro) has a big following in Taiwan.  Below is a video of the FHM photoshoot where Maria talks in English saying hello to all the FHM readers, talking about her visit to one of the southern beaches, her love of outdoor activities, what makes  a sexy woman and her movie Invitation Only which went to general theatrical release  in Taiwan on April 17th.

While she didn’t talk about her dating Koki Tanaka, in Taiwan there were rumors about Maria dating her Invitation Only co-star Bryant Chang Rui Jia 張睿家!  Seems everyone wants a hot Japanese girlfriend like Maria.

Maria Ozawa FHM Video from April 2009

Pretty 3o year old, actress, model and gravure idol Hiroko Anzai 安西 ひろこ has returned to showbiz after a seven year hiatus to become the image girl for the new Avex Trax  parapara eurobeat CD “Campus Summit 2009  - 15th Anniversary 15周年記念盤” to be released on June 24th.

Hiroko has reinvented herself to be more a fashion guru and has adopted a more ganguro look.  She has appeared on more than 20 TV variety shows since she announced her comeback.   Read more about Hiroko at her blog here.

Hiroko Anzai Videos

photo slideshow from her early gravure idol days

Hiroko Anzai True Love PV  2000

Hiroko Anzai  Andresen PV 2001

Campus Summit 2009 launch